Kiss Me, I'm Your Partner
by Dispatch22705
Summary: The St. Patrick's Day Edition in the Naked Booth on Top Holiday Series. Booth has to man a kissing booth and is surprised by Brennan's reaction to it. It all leads to Naked Booth on Top, which really...all things should lead to. Haha. Three chapters.
1. Chapter 1

HEY, BONES pals! How art thou? Good, I hope. I'm doing pretty well. My life has been very crazy lately, but this is not a diary, so I'll stop there.

Anyways...I decided a few weeks ago that it was a good idea to continue the Naked Booth on top Holiday series, and when I considered a good holiday, St. Patrick's Day came to mind. This story will be three chapters long, and I admit two things to you.

1. It's probably the most frivolous of all of the Naked Booth on Top Holiday stories. I am not ashamed of this.

2. It didn't quite turn out the way I had in mind, but I can't figure out how to change it. It sort of has one chapter of plot, and then a chapter of little drabbles, almost, and then the third chapter with the M rated goodness. I am slightly ashamed of this lack of continuity in the flow of the story, but i hope in the end, it mostly feels okay. The point is to have fun, and to get Booth naked, so...win, win, win.

Drop me a line and let me know how you're doing!

**_--b&b--_**

**March 10, 2010**

"So…" Sweets nodded and opened up his desk log. "Same time, next week?"

Brennan pursed her lips and nodded, sparing a small glance toward Booth. "That works for me."

"Ah…" Booth clicked his tongue against his teeth. "Sorry. No can do."

When he didn't offer up a reason, Brennan looked toward him with raised eyebrows. "Why can't you meet next Wednesday?"

Booth's lips curved up into a secretive smile. "I have plans."

Sweets' eyes narrowed on Brennan for her reaction, but she was mostly calm in appearance.

She leaned closer to Booth and lowered her voice, just a fraction. "Booth, are you…are you sick?"

Booth's head reared back, and he tossed a quick, but nervous glance toward Sweets. "What? No. No, I'm not sick." His voice lowered as well. "It's something with Parker. For school."

"Is he in trouble again?" Sweets interjected.

Booth's eyebrows rose, and he opened his palms between Brennan and Sweets. "What is with you two? Can't you mind your own business? Can't a man have a secret?"

"_Is_ it a secret?" Sweets asked.

"What?" Booth scoffed and shifted uncomfortably on the couch. "No. What? No, I don't have secrets."

Brennan blinked at his logic pattern, but then turned more toward him. "Well then why can't you tell us what it is?"

He exhaled through his nose and once again looked between his partner and their psychiatrist. "Fine," he huffed. "I'll tell you." Rolling his shoulders back, he tossed his stress ball up in the air. "Parker's school is hosting a St. Patrick's Day festival next week, and I'm helping with that."

"St. Patrick's Day?" Brennan frowned. "What's the significance of that?"

"Catholic, Bones?" Booth tilted his head to the side. "Parker goes to Catholic _school_, so…"

Brennan looked to Sweets for a moment. "I still don't understand the significance."

When Booth sputtered, Sweets leaned forward. "Dr. Brennan, many Catholic communities embrace their heritage and their roots from Ireland. Sometimes Catholic schools will often choose an Irishman of sorts for their mascot."

"Right," Brennan conceded. "But you're not Irish."

Booth smirked. "But…I'm _Catholic_, so…"

"So," Brennan argued. "It doesn't make sense."

"I'm not…" Booth waved his hand in the air and stood up. "I'm not having this discussion with you. Not like this. I can't meet next Wednesday, because I'm helping Parker at school. That's all." He shrugged a shoulder and pointed to Sweets. "I'm sure his little black book there is completely empty, so come on, Bones, let's get out of here, and we can come back and see Dr. Embracing our Heritage some other time next week, okay?"

Sweets chuckled, but stood up. "Interesting that although you're annoyed with Dr. Brennan, you choose instead to lash out at me, in order to protect your partnership."

Booth tensed, and then tossed a glance toward Brennan. She looked at him just as quickly, but then scoffed. "That's…that's crazy." She offered, and then looked down before he met her eyes. A fraction of a second later, she looked back up to see that he was just looking away from her again.

Sweets took in that little show, and leaned against his desk. "And now, I'm really curious as to just what you'll be doing at this school festival."

Booth rolled his eyes and motioned toward the door, but Brennan didn't move. Her eyes were wide, and he made a face at her. But she was nonplussed. "What, Booth? I'm curious too."

He shook his head, pressing his palms to his hips. "Fine. Fine, okay?" He swallowed hard and pressed his tongue to the inside of his mouth, shifting his weight from one foot to the other. "It's no big deal, but Parker kind of volunteered me to help out the PTA with this event, that's all. Now, can we leave?"

"Doing what?" Sweets crossed his arms over his chest. "Working a concession stand?"

Booth eyed him, and then his partner, who somehow, and he was so sure it wasn't on purpose, was actually blocking his exit. "No." His chest puffed out and he palmed the back of his neck in agitation. "It's a booth."

Brennan frowned. "What kind of booth?"

He scratched his chin and his nostrils flared. "A kissing booth."

Sweets snickered and Brennan tilted her head to the side. "A kissing booth?"

"So, what?" Sweets asked. "You'll be taking tickets or something?"

"Yeah" Booth grunted. "Something like that."

Brennan blocked the door with her arm. "Well, what is it?"

"What is with you two?" Booth's eyebrows rose. "Do you have to know everything?" When there was no response, he shook his head. "Fine, okay? Like I said, it's a kissing booth. And since my last name…"

"Ah…" Sweets laughed. "Classic."

"What?" Brennan frowned. "What's classic?" She leaned toward Sweets. "What's classic?"

Sweets motioned for Booth to explain, but the agent just stood in silence, an annoyed look on his face.

"Well, Dr. Brennan." Sweets sat back down in his chair. "Have you ever seen a kissing booth before?"

When she shook her head, Sweets nodded. "The general idea is that one person is in a small booth and people can pay money or give tickets they have previously paid money for to kiss the person in the booth."

"Oh…" she turned toward Booth. "So you'll be accepting tickets?"

When Sweets laughed again, Booth's cheeks grew flushed.

"No, Dr. Brennan," Sweets explained. "He'll be accepting the kisses."

"Yeah" Booth cleared his throat. "Kissing booth…Kissing _Booth_" he motioned to his chest. "Get it?"

"Oh" Brennan repeated. "Well, it's quite clever, actually. Except for the kissing random strangers part."

"Look, once I arrived at the PTA meeting, well…they said I'd be perfect. I mean, I wanted to help out, right? It's not like I could go in to my _first_ PTA meeting and say no, you know?"He looked to his partner for support, but was surprised to see her staring at him, wide eyed, a look of concern on her face. "Ah, come on, Bones. It's not that big of a deal. It's a fundraiser. I stand in a little wooden booth, and take tickets or tokens or whatever, and get kissed. It's as simple as that."

Brennan blinked and then stood up straighter. "Well, it sounds like fun. I think I'll go along."

"What?" Booth chuckled. "No, come on, Bones. You don't want to do that." His hand shoved into his pocket to meet his poker chip.

"Why not, Booth?"

The agent tossed Sweets a look, but the younger man just shrugged. "I don't see any harm in Dr. Brennan going to the festival."

Booth sighed and shook his head. "Fine, Bones. You really want to go?"

She played it cool and shrugged casually. "I mean if you _want_ me to, then yes…if I am available. I have a very busy schedule after all." Her wide eyes and slight flush didn't fool either man, but neither felt like making a big deal out of it.

"Of course I want you to come, Bones" Booth opened his hands to her in mock agreement. "Why _wouldn't_ I want you to come?"

Brennan missed his tone, and turned toward Sweets. "Do you want to come, too?"

"Bones!" Booth huffed.

Sweets looked between the two of them, a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. "I'd love to come."

**_--b&b—_**

**_March 17th, 2010_**

"Ah…" Sweets sighed as he sank into a chair across from Booth and beside Brennan at the diner. He motioned with two fingers toward the waitress and smiled as she brought him a quick cup of coffee. "It is so nice outside. It's practically perfect."

"Mmmhmm…" Booth nodded noncommittally, tracing the slim circle of condensation around the base of his water glass.

Sweets looked between him and Brennan. "Oh, sorry. Did I interrupt a fight?"

"A fight?" Brennan shook her head. "We don't fight. Right?"

Booth nodded. "Right. We were just talking. _And_ Bones here was being irrational."

"Irrational!" Brennan sputtered and leaned forward before slapping the back of her hand against Sweets' arm. "I was merely informing Agent Booth of the health risks he'll be taking at the festival."

"Health risks?" Sweets grinned and reached over Brennan for the creamer. "What kind of booth is this?"

"Very funny," Booth drolled. "It's just kissing. Bones thinks I'm going to contract some disease."

"Well, you will be coming into contact with many strangers, Booth." She argued. "How do you know what those people have been up to, and what their personal hygiene methods are?"

He shook his head and leaned back in his chair. "It's _just _a kissing booth."

Sweets hid a smile at Booth's 'we're _just_ partners' tone of voice, and said nothing.

"Booth…" Brennan continued. "Just because you'll be in some wooden structure made with cheap labor and good intentions does not mean that you won't be at risk."

"Just drop it, Bones." Booth leaned forward. "Or, if it bothers you so much, then don't come."

Brennan tensed at that and then her shoulders relaxed. "It would be irrational to let something like that prevent me from attending the festival."

"Mmmhmmm…" Booth repeated, but this time, his tone was amused. "Something like my imminent death, you mean?"

Brennan ignored that but looked to her watch. "I should go back to work. But I was thinking that it would make the most sense for us to ride together. I can meet at your apartment and ride with you."

Booth's eyebrows rose. "How exactly is that rational?"

She stood up and pulled her bag onto her shoulder as she moved past Sweets. "I assume that parking will be at a premium and it will be courteous to arrive in as few vehicles as possible."

With that she left, and Booth watched her go before remembering that Sweets was there too. He turned back and met the psychiatrist's eyes and shrugged a shoulder. "I suppose she's right about that."

"Oh yeah, yeah." Sweets agreed right away. "Totally. Totally rational."

"Hmmm…" Booth pondered. "What about you? Are you going to come over too?"

Sweets tilted his head down and stirred his coffee. "Sure."

Booth nodded. "Great." He leaned back in his chair and looked out the window. Sweets could tell from his tone and posture that he was less than excited about having company at the festival.

"You know…" he couldn't help but offer. "It's quite fascinating that Dr. Brennan is so opposed to you participating in this kissing booth."

Booth blinked and then looked Sweets in the eye. "Shut up." He rolled his eyes, even as he rolled from his chair, leaving Sweets with his fries. And the bill.

**--b&b--**

Brennan pulled up to the curb outside of Booth's apartment in time to see Sweets pull up behind her. She quickly got out of her car and nodded toward him. "You're early."

Sweets smiled and motioned toward Booth's door. "You were here before me," he muttered.

"What?" Brennan turned back with a glance.

"Oh, nothing, nothing."

Brennan knocked on the door, and Sweets stood back and watched with interest as Booth opened the door, his shirt unbuttoned down the front. Booth blinked and stared at his partner for a moment, a slight flush creeping against his cheeks as she blinked and stared right back at him.

"Is that what you're going to wear?" she accused, and then Booth shook his head.

"What's wrong with this?" He motioned down to his waist and began buttoning up his black dress shirt, tucking it into his jeans.

"Nothing, intrinsically," Brennan conceded. "But you should consider the impression you are giving off. You look like--"

"A healthy, attractive, single man?" Sweets interrupted, then hid a smile at the frown on Brennan's face.

Booth made an annoyed face toward Sweets. "Come in," He called over his shoulder as he turned back into his apartment. Sweets once again motioned for Brennan to precede him.

"You guys can have a seat." Booth was saying. "I just need to finish getting ready."

Sweets took a seat on the couch, but Brennan waited a few seconds before following Booth back toward his bedroom.

Booth didn't notice, though, and was busy leaning over his sink, spitting out toothpaste.

"You should brush in circular motion for optimal plaque removal."

Booth's eyes widened and he looked at her incredulously. "Do you _mind_?"

She shifted uncomfortably, but didn't move away, motioning with her hand toward the mouthwash on Booth's sink. "What's so personal about brushing your teeth?"

Booth didn't answer and just shut his bathroom door in her face.

But she stayed put, leaning closer to it. "Are you nervous about bad breath? Is that why you are gargling twice?"

Booth yanked the door back open, wiping his mouth with a towel. "I'm not nervous. I'm just being…considerate. That's all." He shoved past her and checked his reflection in the mirror in his living room. "Gotta give the ladies their money's worth, you know."

Sweets snickered from his position on the couch, and Brennan followed Booth into the living room, almost running into him when he stopped suddenly.

"Okay, that kind of thing?" Booth held up a hand. "You guys can't be like that when we get there. All anthropology-y and psycho-y."

"I won't be." Brennan quickly agreed, looking to Sweets who nodded.

"Hmmm…" Booth shook his head as he grabbed his keys from the bowl near the fridge. "You see, you both say that now, but…once we get there…"He rolled his eyes to the ceiling, hoping he made it through the night.

**--b&b-- **

"Oh…" Brennan's voice was slightly breathless as she took in the large signs and brightly colored balloons. Booth was surprised at her innocent reaction and spared a glance toward her from the driver's seat. But then he saw Sweets' smug look in the rearview mirror. Booth blinked and then opened his door. "Ready?"

"It's quite interesting, anthropologically--" Brennan began, but Booth held up a hand in her way.

"No, no…come on, Bones. You promised. Nothing to examine here. It's just a festival."

He kept to fingers at the base of Brennan's elbow, keeping her close as they made their way through the already teeming crowd. "See, Bones? It's _fun_. There are booths for lots of goofy stuff. Kissing, bingo, food…"

"Absolving of sins?" she offered, and Booth froze. His eyebrows widened and he tossed a desperate look to Sweets, but the younger man just laughed at him.

"Bones! You can't go around saying things like that." he hissed. "Maybe you shouldn't stay here."

"What?" Brennan looked hurt. "You can't un-invite me to a public event, Booth."

Booth exhaled through his nose and looked to Sweets once again.

"I'll keep an eye on her."

"Thanks, man." Booth nodded and slapped him on the shoulder as he walked toward his assignment.

Brennan frowned after him. "What? I don't need looking after!"

When Booth didn't so much as turn around or reply, she frowned more and looked back at Sweets. He smiled slightly and then tilted his head to the side. "Cotton candy or funnel cakes?"

**--b&b—**

_An hour later…_

"Hi Sweetums!"

Brennan and Sweets turned around to see Daisy coming their way. Brennan watched as Sweets smiled and leaned in to kiss his girlfriend. Daisy's eyes closed, and she rubbed her nose against Sweets'.

Brennan cleared her throat. "Hello, Miss Wick. I didn't know you would be attending."

"Oh, Dr. Brennan" she gushed. "It's so good to see you! Are you having a good time? I am. This is so cute, and so quaint. It's absolutely adorable, this entire festival. And I just know that my Sweetmuffin here will be absolutely amazing at the ring toss, won't you schnookums!"

Sweets flushed and grinned, wrapping his arms around Daisy. "I suppose I could show off my amazing skills."

Daisy giggled and then looked at Brennan. "Are you having a good time, Dr. Brennan?"

Brennan nodded warily. "Yes. It's quite fascinating. I must admit." She blinked and then turned her head to the side.

Sweets didn't miss the way she slightly strained her neck to look around him to where Booth was. He turned as well to look at what she was looking at. "Ah, it seems Agent Booth is quite popular."

"Well, of course he is." Daisy gushed. "I mean he is completely…" she paused and bit her lip, looking back at Brennan. "Oh, sorry, Dr. Brennan."

Brennan tilted her head to the side. "What are you sorry for?"

Daisy smiled and looked to Sweets before answering. "Well, everyone knows that he's your--"

"Partner" Sweets interrupted, and pressed his hand to Daisy's back. "Dr. Brennan is protective of Agent Booth."

Daisy opened her mouth to answer, but then stayed quiet as Sweets pressed harder. "Oh." She nodded and looked at him conspiratorily. "_Oh_."

Sweets winced and looked to Brennan, but he needn't have worried, because she was still concentrating on her partner.

"You know, Dr. Brennan," he began, "you could go stand in line."

"Oh yes!" Daisy nodded and clasped her hands together. "I am sure Agent Booth would like that. I know that you think we should all keep things very professional in the lab, and trust me when I say that I take that very seriously. I'm professionally serious and serious about being professional. DON'T worry about that at all, Dr. Brennan, but sometimes I have noticed, that…"

"What Daisy is trying to say" Sweets interrupted. "Is that it's up to you. No one would think anything out of the ordinary about you kissing Agent Booth. For charity of course."

Daisy's eyes were wide as she stared at Sweets, catching on to his intent. She nodded emphatically to Brennan. "For _charity_."

Brennan smoothed her hands down her sides, and when she opened her mouth to reply, Sweets held up a hand.

"Neither Daisy nor I would mention it to anyone else. Not that it would matter, because it's for charity. You just need a token."

Daisy practically threw one in her direction, and when Brennan just stood there, her eyebrows raised in surprise, Daisy gasped and got on her knees, searching for the token in the grass. She stood up quickly and used her sweater to clean off the token before lifting Brennan's hand and placing it inside. "Here you go."

Brennan stared at the token, and Sweets saw the need to leave her with some time to think.

"Come on, Daisy" Sweets put his arm around her shoulder. "Let's go check out the cake walk. Dr. Brennan…want to come with?"

"Yes!" Daisy encouraged.

Brennan pursed her lips to the side, and then nodded. "Sure."

When Sweets and Daisy turned and walked away, she placed her new token in her pocket.

_**--b&b—**_

_Another hour later…_

Booth took the bottle of water that the head of the PTA handed him and stepped outside his booth, glad for the 15 minute break. Not that he wasn't having a good time. He had to admit that this was kind of fun, if not a little weird. Things had certainly been _surprising_, like some of the single moms standing in line more than…twice. Or the grandma who had leaned up to kiss him on the cheek, but also reached around to pinch his butt. What was most surprising, though, was that he hadn't seen Bones. He didn't exactly have the best range of vision inside that wooden claptrap, but when he'd gotten the chance, he'd tried to look for her, hoping she was having a good time.

"Hey, Dad!"

"Hey!" Booth grinned, looking down to his son tugging on his arm, "Park-o, my man! What's shakin?!"

"Shakin?" Parker scrunched up his nose. "You're silly, Dad."

Booth smiled and reached over to rub his head. "Where's your mom?"

Parker shrugged a shoulder. "She's over there, talking to Bones. And Sweets." He pointed with his hand and Booth followed with his gaze, and sure enough, Rebecca was talking with his partner and Sweets. As if they knew he was looking at them, they all turned. Booth watched as Brennan bit her bottom lip and then waved at him quickly.

He smiled and lifted his hand in a quick wave. It was crazy, but just a wave from her felt better than kissing anyone else. His cheeks felt warm, especially when he saw Rebecca smirking in his direction and Sweets looking on with an intrigued look. Then Booth saw that Daisy was behind him; she must have come on her own to hang out with Sweets. He flashed a quick glance back to Bones, wondering how SHE felt about that.

"Dad, this is so awesome!" Parker was saying. "I had some cotton candy, and Bones showed me how to figure out the probabability of bingo, and stuff, and…"

Booth smiled at his mispronunciation. "She did, hmmm? Like what, with math or something?"

"Yeah, Dad." Parker grinned and showed Booth the candy he had won. "It was awesome."

"Come on, Parker!" Rebecca called, and Booth walked Parker over to her.

"Hey Rebecca," he nodded to her. "How's it going?"

She shrugged. "It's going. And speaking of going…" She tapped Parker on the head. "WE need to go, because it's getting late, and you have school tomorrow."

"Aw, Mom…" he groaned. "Can't Dad take me home later?"

Booth smiled, and tugged Parker close. "Hey, buddy, that would be fun, but I can't, because I have to give Bones a ride home, right, Bones?"

"I…" she opened her mouth to refute him, but when she saw his wide eyes, she swallowed and cleared her throat. "Um, yes…correct."

Booth gave her a half a grin and rubbed Parker's head again, "Go on, buddy. Go with your mom, and I'll see you this weekend, okay?"

"Will we make green eggs and ham?" Parker asked and held out his fist.

Booth bumped it with his. "You better believe it."

He smiled as he watched Rebecca and Parker walk away, and then he turned toward Sweets, Daisy and Brennan. "Are you guys having a good time?"

"I am…" Sweets nodded. "But Daisy has some homework…" he tilted his head toward Brennan. "And I think I'm just going to go with her. She'll take me back to your place, Agent Booth. And I'll get my car. Dr. Brennan, you're welcome to come with us, if you want."

Booth shrugged a shoulder. "Sure, Bones. It's up to you, but I'm just going to go back into the booth for another hour or so. You'll kind of be by yourself."

Brennan's eyes gave away no emotions, but she looked down to her hands. "I'll stay."

That was all she said about it, and Sweets raised his eyebrows toward Booth. "Okay, then." He nodded, and took Daisy's hand into his. "I'll see you guys, later, then."

He and Daisy walked away, and Booth shifted his weight from one foot to the other. "Hey, I should probably…" he hitched his thumb back to the kissing booth.

Brennan nodded. "Sure, I understand. I'll meet you back here in about an hour."

"Great" Booth nodded.

"Great" Brennan repeated.

Booth nodded again and actually took a step backward. "In an hour. Right here. Great." He added unnecessarily.

**--b&b--**

Brennan watched him re-enter the booth before she turned and began walking down the crowded path of people. It was loud and noisy, but fascinating. As she continued walking, she almost ran into a table set up along the pavement. "Oh, sorry…" she frowned, trying to read the brightly colored posters taped to the front of the table.

"That's okay!" the woman sitting behind the table assured her. "We're kind of in the way here, but that's also kind of the point. We're trying to get people's attention."

"Well…" Brennan observed. "You are an attractive woman, and so I'm sure that your sexual appeal is also a factor in why you were chosen to sit there."

The woman's eyes widened, and an amused smile crossed her lips. "Well, okay. Thank you."

"You're welcome," Brennan answered sincerely.

"Um…" the woman held out her hand toward the top of her table. "I'm Connie, and I'm with the school's science committee. We're trying to raise money for new textbooks. We're doing raffle tickets, and also selling tokens here, too."

Brennan's eyebrows rose. "Science textbooks. Interesting."

She picked up one of the sample books on the table and began to look through it. "Well, despite the fact that the vocabulary in this book is quite basic…this does seem to have the rudimentary building blocks necessary for quality scientific inquiry." She set down the sample book and pulled out her checkbook. "How much do they cost?"

"The tickets?" Connie asked. "They are $15 each or two for $20."

"No" Brennan shook her head. "Not the tickets. The textbooks."

Connie laughed. "Oh, I don't know. Five thousand dollars?"

Brennan nodded and began writing.

"Whoa!" Connie stood up quickly. "What are you doing?"

"Um…" Brennan turned her open checkbook toward Connie as if it were completely obvious what she was doing. "I am making a contribution."

"Five thousand dollars?"

"Is that not enough?"

"Not enough?" Connie scoffed. "It's an amazing contribution. Do you…do you want the raffle tickets? Um, the prize is a new TV."

Brennan's nose scrunched up. "I have no need for a TV." She tore off the check and handed it over.

Connie stared at it, and then at Brennan. "This is…wow…thank you, very much. I mean…wow." She opened up her small cash box and scooped out some tokens. "At least take these." She shoved them into Brennan's hand.

Brennan reacted by taking a step backward, but some of the coins still fell into her open palms. It seemed like the right thing to do to just accept them, so she tried to smile and then turned and walked away, shoving the coins into her pocket as she went.

**--b&b—**

_Thirty minutes later._

Booth smiled to the last woman in front of him and leaned forward, smiling wider at the taste of cherry lip gloss. He wasn't sure if she was being considerate to him, or what, but she was kind of cute. Dark hair, pretty eyes.

He leaned back and felt his chest expand with air. But from the corner of his eye, he saw Bones watching him. She was so far away that he couldn't tell for sure, but it looked like she might be frowning. Booth wasn't sure what to think about that, but then she was looking away, and there was a knock on the back of the booth.

He turned and saw the head of the PTA. "Is it over?"

She smiled. "Yes, I think so. What do you think?"

Booth shrugged and blushed. "I don't know. It's kind of fun."

She reached around him and grabbed the tin of tokens, jingling it. "Financially successful fun."

Booth laughed and followed her from the wooden structure, shaking her hand. He craned his head to look for Brennan and saw her standing near the ring toss, close to where they'd agreed to meet. A smile on his face, he snuck up behind her. "I bet you five bucks I can get all of the rings onto the pins."

Brennan whirled around and looked at him. "I don't care if you can, and besides, you shouldn't be betting."

A chuckle escaped his lips at her reasoning, and he shook his head. "Jeez, Bones. I guess you're right." He casually tossed an arm around her shoulder. "Good thing you are here, I guess. I might have succumbed to the pressure."

She nodded to him. "I'm glad you didn't."

Booth paused and looked at her, and she looked back.

"Are you done kissing strangers for money?"

"Ah!" Booth gasped. "Stop saying it like that."

"Why not?" she asked and began to walk forward. "Isn't that what you were doing?"

Booth jogged after her and pulled his keys from his pocket as they made their way to his SUV. "Well, I mean… I guess it's what it was, but it's not like I'M getting the money, you know?"

"Hmmm…" she tilted her head to the side as she walked around to the passenger side. "I suppose."

Booth laughed to himself and got in the driver's side, smiling as he started the ignition. "Did you at least have a good time?"

Brennan nodded. "Yes, I did."

"Mmhmmm…" Booth eyed her suspiciously. "And did you stay out of trouble?"

"Booth!" Brennan insisted. "Of course. I never get into trouble."

Her chin tilted up just a bit in disbelief of his question, and Booth clicked his tongue against his teeth, waggling one index finger in her direction. "You see, you say that, Bones. But I know you."

His eyes narrowed when he thought he might have seen a flicker of hurt at his words. When she didn't say anything, he figured he'd just imagined it. He turned to face the road, concentrating on his driving.

The rest of the ride was mostly quiet, and when he pulled up to the curb, he turned off the engine and watched as Brennan got out of the passenger side and waited for him to walk around the SUV.

Booth walked up to his door and opened it, stepping aside to let Brennan enter in front of him. But she just stood where she was.

"What's the matter, Bones?"

He watched as she bit her bottom lip, and then she took a small step toward him, lifting up her hand. When she opened it, his eyes widened at the single token she held.

"Um…okay," he laughed nervously. "What's that?"

She blinked and tilted her head to the side. "It's a coin, Booth. I purchased it at the festival tonight."

Booth looked to his left and his right, wondering if someone was playing a joke on him. "And…does it mean what I think it means?"

She frowned. "How could I possibly know what you think it means?"

An exasperated sound escaped his lips. "Are you saying you want to kiss me?"

"Well…"

Booth watched, amazed, as a slight flush crept over her cheeks.

"It's for charity," she explained. "I didn't feel like standing in line, and I figured you would prefer that I might kiss you privately, and…"

Though her words had trailed off and her voice had gotten quieter, Booth's heart rate had sped way up, wondering if this was really happening. "You want to kiss me," he reiterated. "For charity."

"Yes" she shrugged a casual shoulder, as if it was the most natural request in the world.

Booth felt his throat begin to close up, like it had once before. At the time, he'd wondered if maybe he was allergic to mistletoe, but now he knew it was just nerves. "Um, well…okay. For charity, I guess."

She didn't reply, but offered him the token. Feeling slightly bewildered, Booth accepted it and placed it into his pocket. He tried to relax as much as possible, but couldn't help tensing just a bit when Brennan took a small step forward, invading his personal space.

And then before he was quite ready for it, she cupped his face with both of her hands and leaned up, pressing her lips against his.

It was sweet and soft and over before he knew it.

She took a step back and then another, placing her hands back to her side, looking calm and collected. "Well, goodnight, Booth."

He felt his body lean into his doorjamb, as if it knew it needed the support. Trying for casual himself, he shoved a hand into his pocket. "Yeah." He swallowed and cleared his throat. "I'll see you tomorrow."

Booth watched her turn and walk down his hallway, as his thumb brushed over the token in his pocket.

--b&b--

See you in a few hours with chapter two!


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey…btw…can we just imagine, for the sake of this story, that Booth has grass in front of his apartment? Didn't his old one? Well, here he does, haha, so thanks for imagining it! You're the best!**

**--b&b—**

A few days later...

"Ah, we got him." Booth tossed his poker chip in the air and caught it, turning toward Brennan with a hint of a smile. "Finally."

Brennan nodded and moved closer to him. "I'm very pleased."

"Yep." Booth nodded, leaning his back against the wall near the two-way mirror. "That guy was one sick SOB. I think I'm going to let Jenkins close it up. As much as I love going in for the kill, and I know I was on the lead, I'm really just ready to get out of here. And I don't really even want to be in the same room as that guy again."

"I agree. He certainly was completely out of touch with rational ways of thinking."

"Yeah," Booth chuckled. "Chopping people's heads off is not rational."

Brennan watched him as he smiled again, noticing that while his lips curved up, his eyes were still wary, and his shoulders were still tense. She had been partners with him long enough to know that he was still feeling unsure. Not about their suspect; he was certainly guilty, and their confession was locked up. This was more about his faith in humanity in general. Biting her bottom lip, she took another step forward and reached into her pocket, pulling out a small coin.

With uncertainty, she held it up between her body and his.

"Bones!" he hissed, blinking hard. "What is that?"

"Why do you keep asking that, Booth? It's a coin."

"I know what it _is_, Bones. But why do you _have_ it. And why do you have it _here_? And don't say charity."

"I…" she shifted forward as she tried to explain. "I had it in my pocket. And I can see that you are somewhat tense, and…"

His eyes darted back and forth from the coin to her eyes. With wary eyes, he reached between them and accepted the coin from her fingers, swallowing hard as she leaned forward the rest of the way and pressed her lips against his so quickly he was sure he'd imagined it.

But there was an uncertainty in her eyes too, and he couldn't quite look away, even as fingers clenched around the coin.

Brennan took a step backward and turned toward the door to the room, walking to it and opening it. Booth followed her, and then they went to the diner for dinner as if nothing was different.

**--b&b—**

_A few more days later...._

Booth opened his eyes, blinking rapidly at the dim light. He closed his eyes and then re-opened them, trying to figure out where he was. Then suddenly he saw Bones' face over him. "Bones?"

"Hi…" she whispered. "You're awake."

"Yeah…" he murmured. "When did I fall asleep, though?"

She smiled, and he couldn't quite breathe. "We're just finishing up the paperwork for the case…"

Her eyes were dark and he felt something press to the center of his palm. Just as he figured out what it was, she was kissing him, and this one was softer and sweeter than any of the other kisses she'd given him. Booth thought he might have moaned when he felt the gentle slide of her tongue against his bottom lip, and his neck arched up to keep their connection when he felt her back away.

Her teeth sank into her bottom lip and she didn't quite meet his eyes. Booth's eyes searched her face, and he couldn't look away as she blushed and then smiled.

He felt a smile rise up from his heart to his lips, and he blinked again. "Is there more paperwork?"

Brennan laughed and shook her head. "No, I finished it."

"Is there more Thai food?"

"No…" she smiled and stood up from her couch. "You finished that before you fell asleep."

Booth sat up and wiped his hand down the front of his face, shaking his head slightly to sweep away the sleepy cobwebs. "I guess I should go home, then. I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Sure, Booth."

He stood and walked to her door, his eyes still feeling kind of heavy. And once her door was closed behind him, he turned and stared at it, wondering if he'd just dreamt everything.

**--b&b--**

_The next week._

"Booth…" Brennan walked into his office and then paused.

Booth was sitting at his desk, and another woman was sitting on it, holding a small notepad. When Brennan walked in, she slid off the side and walked toward the door. "See you, Booth."

"Hello" Brennan said to her but received no response except the closing of Booth's door.

"Who was that?" Brennan asked, making her way to stand by Booth's desk.

He worked at the knot of his tie, stretching it loose. "That was Marta. She's new to the undercover department, and I was just giving her a few pointers. That's all."

Brennan's eyebrows lifted, and she looked toward Booth's door.

Booth stood up and leaned against his desk. "Marta is married to Bob, by the way."

"Bob from the cafeteria?"

Booth laughed at the look on her face. "Yep. Crazy, hmmm?"

"I…well," Brennan shrugged a shoulder. "Marriage as an institution is--"

"No…" Booth interrupted. "Forget I even mentioned it. What do you have for me?"

Brennan reached into her pocket for the slip of paper Hodgins had used to write down his findings. And with the paper slipped out a token. It fell to Booth's desk, and they both stared at it.

"Um…I think you dropped something, Bones." Booth murmured.

Brennan placed her fingers over the coin, reaching to pick it back up. But at the last minute, she slid it over toward Booth, letting it rest just beside his fingers. Keeping her eyes locked on his face, she leaned forward and ghosted her lips against his.

His mouth was a firm line, and his eyes conveyed nothing when she pulled back. Clearing her throat, Brennan shook her head and then handed him the paper from Hodgins. "The compounds are listed on the paper. You should send them to your tech team."

Booth watched as she quickly walked away, and then he looked down, staring at the coin for long minutes before shoving it into his pocket and then reading the paper in front of him, the combinations of letters and numbers blurring in his mind.

**--b&b—**

That night, Booth lay in his bed and stared at the ceiling. His hand rested against his chest, and he could feel his heart beating. He felt confused and completely settled at the same time. Being kissed by Bones was like having his dreams ripped from night into his everyday life. Yeah, when he'd been in the kissing booth, he'd thought that maybe she'd stand in line. But immediately, he'd disregarded that as crazy.

And now, a part of him wanted to sit her down and ask her what she was doing, but the rest of him didn't want her to stop.

He turned to look at his bedside table and the small bowl he'd set there. Inside were four coins, and he wondered how many more she had.

--**b&b—**

The next week, she gave him three more tokens. One late at night, when they'd both been standing on the lab platform. He'd sputtered slightly that someone might see, and looked around, but there was no one there.

And then, the next night, outside her apartment, in the SUV. She'd rested her neck against the headrest for just a moment before turning to meet his equally tired eyes. His tie was loose and his jacket slung over the back of his seat. The darkness of the night did nothing but highlight the crisp white of his shirt, and when she rose up to her knees and leaned over the console, her fingers tightened in the fabric of his shirt, near his arm. The kiss lasted a long time, and her hands moved from his arms to his shoulders for support as she leaned in further, deepening the kiss. Booth's hands remained at his sides for most of it, and when she pulled back, they flexed, as if somehow they could keep her from stopping. Both stunned and silent, their eyes searched one another's. Then finally, Brennan returned to her seat and sat in it, looking out the front window for a couple of minutes before opening her door. Just as she was about to leave, she turned and placed a single token on the seat.

And then, three mornings later, at the diner.

"Look, Bones…I don't care what you say," he'd slid his newspaper across the diner table. "Bungee jumping is crazy. Look at this article."

She didn't even read it, she'd just slid it back to him. "I've studied it extensively, and I am not opposed to it. I've never been interested, but I wouldn't say it was crazy."

"Okay…" he'd leaned back in his chair. "So even though I won't do it, and you won't do it…somehow I'M the one who's being irrational about it?"

"Yes" she'd shrugged matter of factly. "Because I am simply choosing not to do it, but you are unable to take the risk."

"What?" His mouth had dropped open in a disbelieving smile. "Bones, you are something else. You think I don't take risks, hmmm?"

How the hell the coin had materialized on the table, he'd had no idea, but then all of a sudden, it had been sitting in front of him, and with narrowed eyes, he'd looked back across the table to his partner.

She was sitting with a smile on her face, and her menu up. His eyes had narrowed further and he matched his menu to hers, leaning in, but not halfway. After all, it was her token…so she had to kiss him.

And she had, closing the distance between them and licking her lips just before they skated against his.

And then she'd pulled back, set her menu down and turned to see the waitress coming their way. "I'll have coffee. And a Caesar salad."

But after that, she didn't give him any more…not for a couple of weeks, and then the time stretched into a month. Booth knew there had been times when she'd thought about it, thought about kissing him. Hell, it was his job to notice those kinds of things in other people. Maybe not kissing, necessarily, but in the minute signs of body language…he was fluent.

**--b&b--**

Brennan sat at her dresser and removed her earrings and necklace, placing them in her jewelry box. And then she reached into her pocket and pulled out the token she'd been putting into her pocket every morning for almost a month. Ever since the school festival, she'd carried one around, just in case.

She knew that it was foolish. All of it. Paying money to kiss someone, carrying around coins just in case…all of it.

But she also knew that this was her last coin, and there was a small part of her that knew she needed to 'make it count', as Booth would say to her.

He thought, and Sweets thought, and other people thought that she couldn't read body language. And she knew that sometimes that was true, but with Booth, she was able to see in his eyes that over the past few weeks, he'd wanted her to kiss him. And each time that had happened…she'd wanted to kiss him. It didn't matter when, or where, or who else was around.

And as Brennan looked at her own reflection in the mirror, she realized that was what was so intense about the whole thing. She also realized she wasn't quite ready for that intensity to be over.

"This is irrational" she chided her reflection. She knew it was. She was a grown woman, and Booth was a grown man. She didn't need to pay any man to kiss him.

And instinctively, she knew it wasn't the same as that, but still…

Her finger traced around the coin where it sat on her dresser. And she knew that in the morning, she'd make sure and carry it around.

**--b&b—**

_Two weeks later…_

"I'd like to make a toast," Brennan stood up with her water glass. "I--"

"No, Bones." Booth put a hand on her arm and stood up beside her. "I'll do the toast this time," he murmured in her ear.

Surprised, she looked at him, but his eyes revealed nothing, except his serious intent. "Okay…" she sat back down.

Booth pulled in a deep breath and looked around the table. "Doesn't seem right to let Bones do her own birthday toast, does it?"

He shifted nervously, but smiled at her as Cam, Angela, Hodgins and Max smiled and chuckled with Sweets and Daisy. "But, seriously…"

His face softened, and his eyes were kind. "Bones…we all um…we all love you. A lot. And…"

Her eyes were wide and her gaze was pinned to his. "And…" he cleared his throat. "We can't think of anyone who deserves to have a good birthday more than you."

Booth blinked and looked around the table, as if realizing other people were there. Each person gave him an encouraging, if not knowing, smile, and he turned back to his partner. "And turning 33 isn't so bad. I was 33 once, for a whole year."

Brennan blinked and frowned. "Booth, that doesn't make sense. Of course you were…" Her head tilted to the side, and she smiled. "Ah, a joke. That's funny, Booth."

He grinned, and tucked his chin to his chest for a moment before standing up straighter and holding up his wine glass. "Happy Birthday, Bones."

She smiled and clinked her glass against his before taking a sip of her wine, looking around the rest of the table and nodding to each person there. "Thank you very much."

"Happy Birthday, sweetheart" Max stood up first and leaned over to kiss her on the cheek. "Your old man has got to go, though. I'll see you soon."

Brennan leaned her cheek into his kiss, her eyes meeting Booth's for a fraction of a second. An unidentifiable emotion crossed over his eyes, but Brennan figured she'd misinterpreted it.

Soon, Angela and Cam and Hodgins stood up too, each one giving her a hug and a birthday wish. And Booth shook Sweets' hand and patted Daisy on the shoulder. "We'll see you guys," he nodded, and Brennan smiled to them.

And then, it was just the two of them.

"Ready, Bones?" he asked her, holding up her coat.

Brennan stood and shrugged one arm into the sleeve. "Sure, I'm ready."

Booth slid his wallet back into his back pocket and then motioned for the front door. When Brennan tucked her arm into his, he looked over at her with a small smile. "So…what did you buy yourself for your birthday this year, Bones?"

"What?" she looked at him. "What do you mean?"

"Oh, come on," he teased. "You're loaded, so…you're telling me you didn't buy yourself something for your birthday?"

"Why would I, Booth?" she asked. "I can buy whatever I want to, whenever I want to. I don't need to wait for a certain day of the year."

"No, I know, I know" Booth conceded and paused by Brennan's car. "But, you know…I mean something special…something you let yourself indulge in. A birthday gift."

Brennan frowned, feeling as if she'd just realized she'd been doing something wrong. "Do you buy yourself birthday gifts?"

Booth swallowed and shrugged a shoulder. "I don't know. Yeah, I guess. Sometimes. It's not like I get a lot of other gifts, so, you know…"

Brennan removed her arm from his and stood to face him. "In that case, I guess I do have something…" She reached into her pocket and pulled out the coin there, holding it out in Booth's direction. He eyed it, and then her with a surprised expression.

"Please take it" she swallowed, tilting her neck to the side as her hand remained outstretched toward him.

After another moment, Booth finally lifted his hand and let his fingers skate over hers, taking the coin from her hand. Brennan shivered at the touch of his fingers against hers, and she wasn't sure, but she thought maybe Booth had leaned closer to her when she was leaning to him. Their lips met and held, and Brennan's arms wrapped around Booth's neck. This time, he let his hands rest along her waist. She still controlled the kiss, pressing her lips over his again and again, her fingers sliding up into his hair. When her tongue rasped against his, he groaned; he couldn't help it.

Brennan quickly moved backward, almost tripping on the curb. But Booth was quicker and grabbed at her elbows, steadying her with his soft touch.

Their eyes held for a long time, both of them with questions on the tip of their tongues.

But then Booth blinked and stepped to the side, pulling in a deep breath. "Happy Birthday, Bones. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Yes, tomorrow." Brennan murmured and watched as he walked away from her before getting into her car and going home.

**--b&b—**

_Three weeks later…_

"Could it _be_ raining any harder?" Booth groaned and leaned forward, peering through his windshield. "I mean, this is crazy, right?"

Brennan leaned forward too and looked out the window. "It could be raining harder, Booth. And this isn't really crazy, but…" she met his eyes. "I'll concede that it is raining quite hard."

"No kidding." He shook his head. "I'm just hoping we make it back to town in one piece."

When her lips curled up in small smile, he pointed to her. "I know, I know…technically, we are both different people, and this SUV is its own thing, comprised of many things, and so it's impossible for us to return in one piece, since we aren't already in one piece."

Having her words spoken before she could say them annoyed Brennan, but she still had to smile. "Very good, Agent Booth."

He grinned and laughed once. "Yeah, yeah, okay. Let's just concentrate on getting home _safely_."

Their eyes met and held, and Booth was struck with the same feeling he'd had all those weeks ago when he'd thought it looked like she'd wanted to kiss him. Ever since her birthday, she hadn't even once talked about it, made any move to kiss him, or anything like that.

It was in the back of his mind at all times to just kiss _her_.

But somehow, in all of that, it just didn't feel right. She'd been kissing him, and then she stopped, and Booth figured that he needed to find out why, before he could kiss her.

"Booth…look out!" she placed a hand on his arm, and he slammed on his brakes, just in time to avoid a stopped car in front of him.

"Bones…" his hands tensed on the steering wheel. "I can't see a thing. I'm pretty sure my apartment is closer. How about we just go there and then, once this lets up, I'll take you back to the lab, or your apartment, or whatever. Yeah?"

"Sure," she nodded. "That seems rational. And I don't need to go back to the lab. I'm done working for the day. The meeting with Cullen was the last thing on my agenda."

"Yeah," Booth smiled slightly. "Mine too. Okay, cool. Let's just go there, and…then we'll wait."

She returned his slight smile, but didn't say anything else.

Once Booth pulled up to his curb, he opened his door. "Hang on, Bones. I'll try to find an umbrella."

"That's not--" she frowned when he closed his door. "Necessary" she sighed to the empty SUV. She heard Booth open the back of his trunk and feeling annoyed, she unbuckled her seatbelt and opened her door, reaching back to grab her forensics bag.

"Booth, you don't need to do that; it's just rain."

But he didn't hear her, so she closed her door, holding a hand up to her face. Okay, so this wasn't just rain. It was (although, she had no way of officially proving it) the hardest rain she had personally experienced. She couldn't hardly even see her way around the SUV to find Booth. But she heard the trunk slam, and Booth curse. "Booth?"

"Bones!" he said in surprise. "What are you doing? I told you to wait until I found an umbrella."

His white shirt was plastered to his body, and his hair was matted to the top of his head, his eyes dark and squinting in the rain.

"Did you find one?" she had to raise her voice to be heard.

"No!" he shouted back.

"Then it would have been foolish for me to wait, Booth. You would have just been getting wetter."

"Yeah," he challenged, "But _you _wouldn't have. That was the whole point."

Her hips shifted to the side as she considered. "Well, why should I stay dry when you are getting wet?"

Booth wiped his hand down his face, causing enough water to fall to the ground in a tiny splash. He looked to Brennan and swore he could see small drops of water clinging to her long eyelashes. "Whatever," he sighed, motioning to his front door. "Let's just go inside."

They made it to his door, but when Booth shoved his hand into his pocket, he cursed. "Damn it. My keys are still in the ignition."

He turned and jogged toward the SUV.

"Hopefully it's not locked" Brennan offered as she jogged beside him.

"BONES!" Booth tossed her an incredulous look. "What the hell are you doing? Get back up to the door, where it's covered."

"What?" she shouted over the sound of the rain. "Why would I do that?"

He shook his head. "It's like you _want_ to be out in the rain or something. You know, it would serve you right if the SUV _was_ locked and we were stuck out here in this, because you couldn't just sit and wait for me to find an umbrella."

"Why would that serve me right?" Brennan huffed. "And besides, you didn't find an umbrella, so I would have just been sitting for a long time."

"Exactly!" Booth proved his point, but Brennan shook her head at his logic.

"Booth, that makes no sense."

He ignored her and opened his driver's side door, dripping all over the seat as he leaned in to grab the keys from the ignition. "Happy now?" he dangled them in front of her.

Brennan frowned and followed him again. "Why are you asking me like that? Aren't you happy that—whoa" she slipped on the wet, muddy grass leading up to his apartment, her hand planting in mud.

Booth turned quickly, and almost fell himself, but didn't. He reached down to grab her arms. "Here, give me your bag. I'll carry it in. Although, not sure why you even needed to BRING it, since I'm pretty sure there aren't any dead bodies in my apartment."

Brennan shrugged off his hand and tried to stand up on her own, but it was almost impossible to get good footing. "I can do it, Booth," she insisted. "I can carry my own bag."

But Booth was not convinced, and he bent over, hooking his arms under hers. Brennan pushed him away, shoving her muddy hands against his shirt. Booth held on tighter and tried to pull her up, the pouring rain around them completely soaking them. But Brennan resisted again. "I am fine, Booth."

"Just shut up, and let me help you, Bones." Booth huffed and let his arm wrap around her waist. Rain fell from his face onto hers, and he blinked and wiped at his face with his other hand. "Jeez, it's…"

But he didn't finish, because they both lost their balance and fell to the mud, landing in a squish of water and wet dirt.

"Ugh…" Brennan tried to lean up on her elbows, but Booth was on top of her.

"Bones, are you okay?" he asked, peering into her eyes to check for any sign of harm.

"I'm okay." She insisted. "Are you okay?"

Booth looked around him, and then rolled over, pulling her over him to get her out of the mud. "Yeah, I'm okay. We're dirty as hell, Bones. But…"

Their eyes met, and he grinned at the situation. Brennan tried to smooth her wet hair away from her face, but it was no use. She laughed, and then he laughed, and she smiled again, the entire situation something they couldn't do anything else about.

The pouring rain was not letting up, but Brennan couldn't concentrate on much else, except for Booth's face, very close to hers. His eyes were smiling, the brown a much lighter color than the dark puddle forming around him, and his chest was tense beneath his wet shirt. His hand on her back tightened for just a moment, and she looked at his eyes.

Booth stared up at his partner, amazed once again at how beautiful she was. Her hair was dark and dripping all over him. But it was almost impossible to tell the difference between that and the rain falling all around them. It wasn't stopping, but Booth felt almost like they were in a little cocoon…just the two of them. _Man, she's gorgeous. _

His fingers smoothed her hair away from her forehead, and he inhaled, causing his chest to press against hers.

"Kiss me, Bones" he murmured without thinking.

Her breath caught in her throat, and she blinked. "I'm…" she sighed. "I'm out of tokens."

_Ah…that explained a lot_, Booth thought. The side of his mouth curved up in a small smile. "Well, I guess this will just have to be a freebie."

Brennan's eyes were wide, and she looked at his mouth before meeting his eyes again. "You mean…you want me to kiss you?"

His lips curved up in a wry smile, but he didn't say anything.

So Brennan leaned down and…

--b&b--

...and I will catch you later with chapter three!


	3. Chapter 3

**Warning: this is exactly what VENZWIFE said in her review…_indulgent_!**

**Hopefully it's not like OOC or anything, but it's definitely very sweet, I would say. Oh well, sweet happens.**

**--b&b--**

Brennan leaned down and paused, her lips hovering just over his. And then she closed the distance and pressed her lips against his. Never once had she kissed someone in the pouring rain like this, and the feel of his lips, so warm…the feel of his soft skin and wet hair was unlike anything she had ever experienced.

She moaned and tilted her chin for better access, slipping her tongue into his mouth and moaning again when his own tongue slid against hers. He was kissing her back, something he'd never really done before. Her hands rubbed over his chest and shoulders, and then she moved them to his sides to gain some purchase. But instead there was a deep squish as her fingers sank into the mud around his body.

"Ew…" she gasped and pulled back, her eyes going wide.

Booth laughed at her, and tried to wipe off her hands, only getting his own messy in the process. "What's that you always say, Bones? It's just dirt. But now you're saying 'ew', hmmm?"

She narrowed her eyes at his teasing. "It was just a reaction in surprise. I'm not opposed to mud. You know that."

Booth smiled and let his eyes linger on hers, keeping his fingers gently touching hers. "Hmmm…I'm not really opposed at the moment either."

Her body had been blocking the rain from hitting him right in the face, but once she'd pulled back, Booth now had to close his eyes and cover his face, "Ah! Let's just get inside."

They laughed as they stood up. Brennan grabbed her bag, and Booth grabbed her elbow, and they tried to hurry the rest of the way up the muddied grass to his door. He smiled proudly when he produced the key to the front door and then they both laughed as they dripped all up the steps to his door. By the time Booth opened it, Brennan was shivering slightly, and she hesitated before walking inside.

"Ah, just come in, Bones. It's going to be messy." Booth closed his door behind her. "Just wait there, I'll get you a couple of towels."

Brennan stood in his entryway and rubbed her arms. Her hands and arms felt cold, but her chest felt warm, and her lips still felt a slight pressure from his mouth. Just as Booth reappeared, she shivered, hard. Booth interpreted it as a cold chill, and he quickly wrapped her in a towel, tossing another one over her head with a smile. "Here you go, there, Bones. This'll get you all nice and warmed up. I'll make us some coffee, and if you want, you can jump in the shower. I, um…" he held up his dark robe. "I can give you this to wear, and we can wash our clothes, if you want."

Brennan looked down to her muddy shirt and pants, and as she toed off her shoes, she noticed for the first time that the pale blue of her blouse was doing nothing to conceal the soft lacy edge of her bra. She looked up at Booth to see him trying to keep his eyes on her face. A smile slid over her lips, and she nodded, taking the robe from his hands. "Okay, thanks."

**--b&b--**

Booth smiled as he walked her back. He shoved some shampoo and soap into her hands and another towel and then backed out of the bathroom. "Enjoy your shower, Bones" he said softly as he closed the door all the way.

He stripped off his soaked clothing and padded down his hall to his washer. He tossed in his clothes but then remembered that he should offer to wash her clothes too. His feet felt cold on the linoleum near his washer and dryer and he ran a hand through his drying hair as he made his way back down to his bedroom. His plan was to just knock on the door, ask her if he could get her things while she was in the shower and the back out.

But…just as he was about to knock, the door opened, and Booth blinked as he took in the sight of his partner.

He supposed he looked completely dazed, but there was nothing he could do about that. She was standing in front of him, her dark hair wet and straight. His dark blue robe completely enveloped her, and between the two of them was the warm scent of his body wash, now combined with her uniquely intoxicating scent.

If he couldn't feel the mud slightly caking and drying in his hair, he would swear this was a dream. "Um, hey, Bones."

It was lame, very lame, but she didn't call him on it. instead, she just smiled. "Hi, Booth." Her eyes flickered over the breadth of his shoulders, and she pulled her bottom lip between her teeth.

A strangled breath hitched in Booth's throat, and his shifted his weight to try to control the sudden reaction to strip his robe off her body and carry her back into his shower with him.

Shower.

He blinked rapidly and swallowed. "Um, I was just coming to get your clothes to toss in the washer." How was he supposed to think clearly, when the long slim line of her neck was calling out to him. "And, um…I thought maybe I would jump in the shower, too, you know…" He chuckled nervously and motioned toward his head. "Otherwise, all of this mud is just going to get gross."

"Sure" Brennan shrugged and then turned around to pick up her wet clothes from his sink. Booth stared at her in his mirror and felt his heart swell about three sizes. When she turned, she met his eyes, and he noticed a slight blush on her cheeks. The small bathroom felt even warmer, and he motioned for her to pass him and then grabbed a clean pair of boxers from his dresser. "I didn't get around to making any coffee, if you want to make some, you can. It's…"

"I know where it is, Booth" she smiled as she walked through his bedroom. "I have made coffee here before. I'll start the washer while you take your shower."

Booth watched her walk away and then shook his head, trying to focus. Yeah, she had made coffee before, but she'd never done laundry.

Booth closed his eyes as if that could prevent him from imagining her lacy underwear swirling and spinning, tangling with his clothes in the water. But as he pulled off his wet boxers and tossed them near the door, he noticed Brennan's necklace hanging gently over his doorknob.

A feeling of home and family and familiarity slid over him, the wave so intense that he pressed his hand to the sink for balance. "Bones…" he whispered to himself, and then blinked hard, shaking his head again to clear his thoughts.

He turned and quickly got into his shower, turning on the water and scrubbing shampoo into his hair as if he could scrub out thoughts of her standing in that exact spot minutes before. The bottoms of his feet felt sensitive, as he washed up, trying to get all the mud off of him. Knowing that the bottoms of _her _feet had just been there was the most intimate moment he'd ever felt, and he was totally alone.

"Booth?"

The knock on his door broke his reverie, and he realized he wasn't completely alone. "Yeah, I'll be right out."

He screwed the water shut and tugged the curtain away, reaching for the towel on his rack. With one hand, he dried his body, and with the other, he pulled on his clean boxers before he opened his bedroom door.

The necklace, the intimate feeling of their shared laundry, and the shower, all of that culminated into a shockwave to his heart at the site of her standing there, still in his robe. Her hair was slightly drying and kind of curling at the ends. Her feet were bare, like his, and she was smiling, handing him a cup of hot coffee in his favorite mug. Love.

"Here, Booth. I thought you might like some coffee."

Booth accepted it quickly. "Yeah, thanks, Bones." He felt slightly self conscious, but…she had seen him in boxers before, so that wasn't anything new. Of course, she was in her awful lab coat at the time, and not his robe, which…despite the larger size, still managed to cling to her curves. Booth knew exactly what the inside of that robe felt like, and now, knowing that she was feeling it against her skin caused his entire body to heat up, and fast. He set the mug of coffee on the top of his dresser so he could use both hands to dry his hair.

Brennan cupped her own mug between her hands, but her mouth was dry for a reason that had nothing to do with thirst. No, instead, she was caught up in the sight of Booth in front of her. And it felt like he was all around her. The minute she'd stepped out of his shower and dried of with one of his towels, she'd felt warm and cozy. She felt the way she did when he smiled at only her. Everything smelled good and dark and warm, and safe, and she knew safe wasn't a smell, and she knew _Booth_ wasn't a smell or a feel, but…regardless of that fact, she was unable to determine another title.

But now, she had all of that, and coffee, and Booth in front of her in just his boxers, and Booth's bed behind her.

Her eyes flickered to the side and then she froze. "What is that?"

"Hmmm?" Booth rolled his shoulders back. "What?"

Brennan pointed to the bedside table about a foot from her. "Those…"

Her eyes widened and so did Booth's as he realized what she was looking at. "Oh…"

He blushed and shrugged his towel over his shoulder, the clean white a contrast to his darker skin. "Well, I don't know. I just…" he smiled shyly and shifted his weight from one foot to the other. "I don't know, I wanted to keep them." He stepped around her and pulled one token from the bowl near his bed. "I thought maybe someday I'd give them back to you."

Brennan's lips parted and she looked at his bed and then him. "Here?"

Booth's jaw worked as he realized what she thought he meant. "I mean, well…I didn't think that necessarily, I just…"

Brennan felt warm and now she felt curious, two things that always turned her on. She wasn't sure she had ever seen anything sexier than Booth with towel dried hair, hardly any clothes, a blush and the beginnings of a hard on.

She blinked as she realized exactly what she was seeing. Yes…Booth was getting aroused by…

Booth cleared his throat and she met his eyes. He held out his hand and between his finger and thumb, he offered her the coin.

Brennan stared at it and then his eyes, and then his chest, and then back to the coin. Very carefully, she accepted it and placed it into the pocket of the robe.

Booth smiled at that and then took a step closer. He rested his hands on her shoulders and let his thumbs rub gently there. "Hmmm…this is kind of strange, feeling my robe from this side of it."

Brennan chuckled at his easy joke, and all of a sudden, nothing felt awkward, and everything felt very comfortable and right.

"Bones…" Booth whispered as he lowered his lips to hers and kissed her.

Brennan's hands still clenched to her coffee mug until Booth pried it from her fingers and set it on his table, kissing her all the while. Her fingers skated over his chest and arms, as his hands wrapped around her waist, and he tugged her closer. Brennan's entire body felt electrified by the slightly rough fabric of his robe against her sensitive skin. But nothing compared to the soft rasp of his tongue against hers, combined with the insistent press of his lips, parting hers, gently kissing her over and over.

After another long moment, he pulled back. "Hmmm…I might owe you another coin for that one."

Brennan smiled and let her fingers rest against his bare chest. "No, that counts as one."

Booth laughed and cupped her hips. "Good to know."

Brennan's eyes met his quickly, and then she looked back down to his chest and stomach muscles. "You really are quite impressive, Booth."

His body tensed at her words, but he cleared his throat, his voice lowering in that way it always did when he was teasing her about something personal. "If you think I look good now, you should see me when the lights are out."

"What?" Brennan blinked and then understood his meaning. Her eyes widened as she smiled and laughed softly. "You're funny, Booth."

He grinned, feeling very good. "Oh yeah?" he murmured, a confident tone to his quiet voice. "I'm glad you think so, Bones. I think you're funny too."

She blushed in slight disbelief. "You do?"

"Yeah, you make me laugh. In a good way" he added, seeing her insecurity start to rise. It always amazed him whenever she was unsure about herself. The idea that she thought he thought she was anything less than incredible was something he could not comprehend. He watched as her eyes flickered back to his nightstand, and feeling kind of smug, he kept one arm wrapped around her waist and leaned over and grabbed another token from the bowl. "You also make me feel very good…" he added, holding the coin between them.

Brennan accepted it with a soft smile and placed it in the pocket with the other coin. Booth watched it all and smiled before leaning down to kiss her again. He was amazed at how easy this was, and he laughed against her lips when she met him more than halfway. He kissed her lips and then couldn't resist pressing his mouth to the soft skin of her throat.

Brennan's knees buckled and she fell backward, the backs of her knees hitting Booth's bed. He caught her and they both froze, measuring the moment, before he settled her on his mattress.

Booth stood up straight and stared down at her. He knew she could see exactly what this was doing to him, but he didn't care. He just needed to know she was okay with it. When she gave him a sweet smile and let her head rest against his pillow, he inhaled sharply. Resting one knee on the bed by her hips, he grabbed the bowl of coins and dumped them on his mattress for quick access.

Brennan smiled and reached for him, arching up when his other knee landed on the other side of her body. She felt him slide a token into the pocket of his robe at the same time he slid his tongue between her lips. "Oh…"she whimpered, sliding her hands down his strong back. "Mmmm…"

"Yeah," Booth agreed, skimming his hands over her hips, cupping her there. He grabbed for a coin and held it up to her, waiting until she accepted it before burying his face in her neck, inhaling deeply before pressing kisses there. His nose and lips pushed his robe away from her shoulder, and there was enough excess fabric that it was easy for him to slide his lips and tongue all over the skin of her neck and shoulders. Brennan clutched his head in her hands, rocking her hips toward his in perfect circles as he continued to kiss her. "Booth…you feel so good."

Booth grunted and nuzzled the skin of her chest, complaining that his robe was in the way. "You feel incredible, Bones."

He pulled back, his eyes intense, and his hair standing up straight from her fingers. His chest was broad and seemed huge from where she was laying. He rested his weight on one elbow and with two fingers from his other hand, gently peeled back one side of his robe from her body.

Brennan flushed at the sincerity in his gaze and in his soft touch. Her eyes never left his face, and her mind whirled as she catalogued Booth's reaction to her body.

All of a sudden, she felt something cool in the center of her chest, and when she looked down, she saw a single coin resting between her breasts. Brennan's breath shuddered when Booth kissed it and ran his tongue around the coin, warming it with his mouth. His now almost completely dried hair felt soft against her chin and cheeks, but the day old stubble felt deliciously scratchy over her skin. "Booth…please…"

Her hand cupped the side of his face, and he nodded, gently picking up the coin with two fingers. He let it fall to the pocket, but didn't pay any more attention to it, and instead just parted the robe further away from her body. "You're amazing, Bones. I really don't know what else to say."

Brennan smiled, and her fingers began to rub against the back of his neck. Booth closed his eyes and leaned back, just a fraction, into her touch, and Brennan felt a warmth settle in her belly. Being with Booth like this was more intimate than any sex she'd had with any man before. "Kiss me" she murmured, and he opened his eyes and smiled.

"Yes, ma'am." His lips ghosted around her breasts, and Brennan let her hands fall to her sides. She dug her elbows into the mattress for leverage in lifting her upper body toward Booth and his tempting mouth.

But for a few minutes, he just kept smiling and teasing her. "Come on, Booth!" she finally pleaded, and he laughed.

"What?" he teased. "I have to get my money's worth, you know."

Brennan eyed him, but smiled. "I think you have."

"Oh, really?" Booth's eyebrow rose, and he lifted an index finger to begin tracing tight circles around her nipples. "You do, hmmm…so then, I shouldn't do this?"

When he leaned over and pulled her right nipple just between his lips, Brennan sighed a moan, finishing with a whisper of his name as her fingers once again found their way to his face, wordlessly begging him not to stop.

"Or this?" he asked, kissing to her other breast and swirling his tongue over the peak there in soft strokes.

"Mmmmmmm…" Brennan nodded, her eyes falling shut in pleasure. "Please keep doing that."

Booth smiled against her breast and placed quick tiny kisses on both of her nipples. "I can't…I have to keep going. But don't worry, you'll be satisfied."

Brennan kept her eyes closed, but grinned in anticipation. 'I certainly hope so."

Booth laughed and took another coin from his dwindling pile and rubbed the slightly serrated edge over the top of Brennan's stomach. He let his lips follow the coin, smoothing her skin with the soft touch of his tongue. Little suckling kisses warmed her, but he only worked within the boundaries of the robe.

Soon they were both ready, and Booth leaned back a bit. Brennan opened her eyes and nodded to him with a smile. She lightly held his wrists as he unfastened the tie, smoothing the edges. Once again, Brennan watched Booth's face as he laid the belt of the robe to her sides and slowly peeled the fabric away from her body, letting it lay flat on his bedspread.

Booth wasn't sure he'd seen anything sexier in his life than the sight of his partner, lying naked on his bathrobe. The dark blue material was soft to the touch, but felt rough compared to the silky lines of her long, gorgeous legs. Her hips curved into her trim waist, and the slightly rounded edges of her belly made him want to rest his head there and tell her everything he'd ever dreamed. Her breasts were perfect and he loved the smooth line of her shoulders, her long neck, her firm chin, her smiling mouth, her intoxicating eyes, her amazing brain, all of it. _All_ of her.

His eyes trailed down her body again, as if not quite believing she was really there, and then he met her eyes, pulling in a shuddering breath, "_Wow._"

Brennan's heart stopped working for a moment at the sincerity in his eyes.

Then he was moving closer, and he tugged a token and pressed it into her open palm as he lightly kissed her lips, staring into her eyes. "Temperance, I've seen a lot of beautiful things in my life, but nothing…nothing compared to you right now."

Her heart began beating in double time as she stretched her neck to meet his lips with hers. "Booth…"

He let his entire body move over hers, rubbing her as their arms and legs tangled together. Brennan arched up into him, and Booth buried his face in her neck, inhaling deeply before he captured her mouth with his.

Brennan thought she might combust with sensation. He was sexy, for sure, but it was more than that. It was in the way his hands were so sure over her breasts, the way his hips fit _perfectly_ between her legs, the way her feet could rub over his…while she could not possibly image the probability in such a scenario, her body recognized that of all the men in the world, Booth was the most physically compatible to her.

That he was just as desirous of her made her mind swell with desire and affection for him.

Booth let his lips trail over her chest again, kissing up and down her arms. He then handed her a coin and settled at her feet, kissing the clean soles and washed ankles.

Brennan smiled, and tried with minimal effort to wiggle away, but Booth just grinned back at her, his eyes crinkly with pleasure. "Not so fast, Bones. Just relax and enjoy."

Her eyes narrowed, but then she conceded, relaxing deeper into the pillow and mattress as his hands began to smooth up her legs. "What about your robe?" she asked.

"Mmmm…" he murmured against the back of her knee, smiling and nipping there when she flinched. 'It's the luckiest robe in the world."

Brennan tensed, and then laughed softly. "Okay."

"Okay," Booth agreed as he let his lips skim up her thighs.

Brennan's legs parted for him, and he rested his chest between them, letting his thumbs smooth over her hips. Booth felt pleased when she began to rotate her hips in time with the gentle circular motion he'd begun against her skin. In small, barely discernable movements, he moved his thumbs closer and closer to her sex, and in quite noticeable fashion, her hips began increasing their movements.

She was almost tense when he finally cupped her inner thighs in his palms and used his thumbs to part her, oh so gently.

"Oh," he murmured. "I'm out of tokens."

"What?" Brennan's eyes flew open in horror, and she scrambled up to her elbows to look at him. "No!"

Booth was pleased with his reaction, and he laughed, shrugging a shoulder. "Sorry, Bones." He clicked his tongue against his teeth and tried not to laugh at how dazed and confused she was, combined with her budding anger. Mother of mercy, she was cute.

He could see in her eyes that she was trying to figure out what to do next, and he smiled, rubbing his thumbs over her. "I guess you should have gotten more at the festival."

"But…" she insisted. "Those were the only ones she gave to me."

"She?" Booth's eyebrows rose. "What do you mean?"

Brennan's head fell back against the pillow and she shook her head as she lifted her hips into his hands, trying to get some satisfaction from his very unsatisfying thumbs. "I paid for the books, and she gave me the tokens she had."

"What books?" Booth rubbed her with a little more friction. "What are you talking about?"

Her neck arched and she bit her bottom lip, her legs spreading wider in invitation to touch. Booth knew she couldn't hold out much longer, and hell, he wasn't about to hold out much longer either. But he did just want to tease her just a bit more, plus now there was this business with some books. "Come on, Bones. What books?"

"At the festival" she panted, once again wrapping his fingers against his wrists. "They were raising money for science books for Parker's school, so I made a donation. Five thousand dollars" she confessed, finally meeting Booth's eyes. "And she practically threw the coins at me. I didn't have any use for them, but then…"

Booth smiled at her in surprise. "Five thousand dollars? Bones!"

She bit her lip, "Well, they were science books."

"Mmhmm…so, you did that for science, then?" he let his fingers tap against the insides of her thighs, and her eyes narrowed.

"Yes, and for Parker, I suppose."

Booth nodded, and leaned over to rub his chin on her belly. "And?"

Brennan pressed her feet to the mattress and rocked up, trying to alleviate the pressure between her legs, desperately in need of being touched on her most sensitive nerves. "And you…and…"

Then she froze. "A freebie. I'm giving you a freebie."

Her eyes were wide in victory, and Booth chuckled, letting his thumbs rub her, moving down to press his thumbprints along her sex, caressing her and skimming over her clit. "A freebie, hmmm?" He pretended to consider where he should kiss her, and she let out a small growl from the back of her throat.

Booth laughed, even as he settled his lips around her clit and began to kiss her there.

Brennan's annoyed sounds turned into high gasps of praise and ecstasy and she pressed both of her hands to the base of his skull, keeping him in place. "Oh my goodness, Booth. You are very skilled…"

He laughed again, and the vibrations rocked through her, and likewise when he slipped his tongue against her sex.

Brennan murmured encouragement and wonder and desperation. "Please, don't stop. Please, Booth. I want to come. Please, please…"

"Don't worry, baby" he assured her as he began to lick her in earnest, his lips sucking all the while. "Don't worry about a thing."

"Mmmmm…" was all she could pant as he inserted one long finger deep into her body, slowly removing it, only to slide back in.

"You are so tight, Bones. You feel so freaking amazing."

"Yes" she cried out, hardly coherent of her agreement. "I do feel amazing. So do you."

Her hands scraped at his shoulders, squeezing hard, and her legs wrapped around his chest, her heels digging into his back.

"Okay, Bones…come on, baby. Come on baby, come for me. Oh, Bones you're so gorgeous" he sucked her into his mouth for a moment. "Come on baby, let go for me."

"Yes" she leaned forward and clenched his shoulders so tightly he knew they'd be bruised. But hell if he cared, because the sounds she made as she tripped over into orgasm were the most healing things he'd ever experienced.

He smiled and then kissed her, pulling back when she tensed, her body too sensitive. So he smiled and laughed against her belly, kissing his way up her body. Her fingers slicked over his back and shoulders, through his hair and over his face as she rotated her hips and came down from her orgasm. He suckled her nipples into his mouth, one after the other until she grabbed his face and pulled him up for a kiss.

Brennan wrapped her whole body around Booth and hugged him tight, kissing him for all she was worth.

Booth rolled them so she was laying on top of him, and Brennan pressed herself on him, head to toe, trying to make him feel as good as he'd made her feel. She finally pulled back, gasping for air, and then began placing tiny kisses all over his chest and neck, moving down to his stomach muscles. "My turn" she bragged.

Booth chuckled and helped her pull off his boxers, pleased when she blinked up at him in surprise.

He bit his bottom lip, blushing a bit at her reaction. But then she got a teasing glint in her eyes, and he swallowed, as she skated the palm of her hand over the tip of his cock. "You already got your freebie." she teased.

Booth barked out a painful laugh as her hand tightened. "Yeah, so…" He reached down and pulled her up, moving her to her back at the same time and settling between her thighs once again. "Besides…" he leaned down until just the tips of their noses were touching. "I like you right here…"

"Here?" she spread her legs and wrapped them around his waist, moving until the tip of his penis rested against her opening. "Or here?"

"Ah," he laughed, sliding inside of her just an inch. "Definitely, here."

"Oh…" she arched her back and took more of him inside of her. "More."

"Yeah…" Booth nodded, his neck and chest firming as he slid all the way to the hilt, settling his weight over her. "Bones, you're so sexy. You feel so good."

"Mmmhmmm…" she began rubbing his lower back, knowing it was common for men to like that during intercourse. Sure enough, Booth began thrusting into her, his long length rasping her insides. "You feel good too. I think I might come with you, Booth."

"Oh, yeah." He bragged, rocking into her. His lips curled up in cocky satisfaction, but his eyes showed how desperate he was for her. His hands cupped her hips as he began to practically pile drive into her.

It had been a long time since he'd had a woman in his bed, and it had been a really long time dreaming of _this _woman in his bed. Booth leaned down and sucked at her breasts, hissing in pleasure when she scraped her fingernails down his back in reaction.

When he used his teeth, she arched in pleasure, clasping his butt in her firm hands and coming around him.

Booth's head reared back and he looked at her face, a combination of fear and awe and desire warring in his eyes. His lips parted as he tried to inhale, but all he could do was hold on as she milked him, her body so warm and wet and welcome… "Oh, Bones. Oh, baby."

"Kiss me" she begged, "Please."

"Yeah" he nodded, planting his lips to hers and kissing her, completely out of control as his hips began rocking at a speed fast enough to rock his headboard. "Hell yeah, Bones. Yeah, baby" he panted in between toe curling kisses. "Please…I… I'm going to come. Oh, Bones. I love you. I love you so much."

"Yes" she knew, and she smoothed her hands up and down his back as she kissed him back, and he came inside of her. She experienced her own sensation of awe at the reality of Booth being so strong and vulnerable at the same time.

His breath was ragged and he collapsed onto her, naked and strong and dependant on her support. She continued to touch him, and very gently kissed his shoulder.

Booth smiled against her skin and rolled off of her, tugging her very close with his arms. "That was incredible. You're incredible, Bones."

"Hmmm…" she agreed.

"That's it?" Booth teased. "That's all you can say, hmmm?"

Brennan smiled into his chest and then searched with her fingers until she found a small coin. She tucked it into his hand and kissed him, sliding her leg over his hips. "Don't volunteer for any more kissing booths."

"Done" Booth nodded, kissing her and rubbing her hip with his hand. "But you can volunteer to kiss Booth all you want."

"Oh yeah?" Brennan arched an eyebrow.

"Yep" Booth nodded, pulling her completely on top of him. "Anytime, baby. I'll even give you one freebie every day."

Brennan smiled and kissed him. "I guess that's it, then, for the day."

Booth frowned and pretended to look sad. "Hmmm…maybe I should give you more, then. 100 freebies a day."

Brennan joined in the joke and tilted her head to the side, pretending to consider. "That sounds reasonable."

Booth grinned and kissed her; he kissed her until she was clutching at his arms and arching back, begging him to touch her all over.

He began kissing down her body, touching her and rubbing. "How about a lifetime of freebies."

Brennan moved down to meet his lips with hers. "Acceptable."

Booth smiled and nodded, kissing her again. "Definetely."

--b&b--

Hope you are having a good day! :) Thanks for all the kind reviews.


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